Welcome to the Machine.

It does feel to me like the end of an empire, not just for this country but for quite a few, the world is full of turmoil and strife, wars and people simply hating each other, I don’t get it at all, I honestly thought that the human race were on an upward trajectory!

I didn’t intend to start on such a downer, but that’s where my head is at the minute, as life can be a piece of shit, now I have known that for quite a while, I’m not surprised or shocked in the least, just when you think that no more shit can rain down on you, the bucket gets tipped all over you! Primarily this blog is about family life, mine and my loved ones, I’m not going into detail I simply wish to vent my spleen, just so I don’t feel as helpless I have been these last few weeks.

Essentially the system is failing (the original title of the blog) there’s an issue in the family and there hasn’t been any support for an issue that has been dragging on for more than 5 years, and for once its not me, the torture never seems to stop, and its bleeding through every part of the family, its not just us and ours its pretty much all over the country in every street and what seems to just about every household.

At work there is a gentleman who has a serious life threatening condition, it was diagnosed in December he has an appointment in August, you read that right a life threatening condition, he was warned at his appointment you’ll not get an appointment before august, and it has turned out to be true, the turmoil that he is going through is unbelievable, no support, no information just see you in August, LIFE THREATENING, you have to scream at the top of your lungs to get attention, everything seems to be spinning out of control, I’m not here to knock the NHS, but I have friends who became medical professionals to help people, not to spend 70% of their time doing paperwork, time its seems is not relevant, paperwork is, the only people who thinks that time is relevant are the people going through the crap that is levelling their lives with pain and misery!

I have to wait  at least 5 months for my replacement knee, I’m not complaining as I have been seen relatively quickly, in total its been four years, shit happens and the world keeps spinning no matter what, but the multitudes of people who are suffering some worse than others from our extended family and friends is frightening, am I looking through rose tinted glasses? when I was a kid if I was ill I got seen and I got sorted really quickly, I know the population has exploded but so has the NHS, the largest employer in the country, do I have solutions of course my brain isn’t good enough to tackle the issues concerning this beloved institute, but issues it does have by the bucket load,  here are pet my peeves in my misinformed brain, why cant nurses be allowed to nurse, why are doctors allowed to do more operations privately than they do in their “main” job, why do there need to be so many “middle managers” (it’s the same at my current place of work) I bet a multitude of them hide in their nice offices earning tons of money, people in charge of trusts earning more than our prime minister, you know the person allegedly running the bloody country it’s all wrong, I wish I could wave a magic wand , I don’t want to see people made redundant, but spend the money on front line staff, as  I sit and watch friends and family go through the giant machine!

I’m sorry about this being a grumpy blog it wasn’t my intention, I just see everything going to hell in a hand basket, and no I don’t have any faith in anybody in our country (politicians wise) being able to resolve any of the issues as they feed at the trough and they are ok, the bulk of them do not care for us the general public, its simply where I am today, roll on tomorrow hopefully life wont be as bleak, until the next one stay safe and stay alive, ….Toodles!

And yes, the name game is in place, its so easy you shouldn’t have to Google it!

On With the Action.

To date I have seen (allegedly) 4998 gigs, this includes pub gigs with local bands, I used to be a great supporter of local gigs, the last four years have seen a significant drop off, for many reasons that I have no intention of boring you all with the details (again).

Some Bands I have seen multiple times intentionally some not so intentionally, Marillion with Fish over 49 times, Marillion without Fish only once, Fish, solo I have seen around 24 times, my last gig was actually Fish at the city hall on his road to the isles tour! FM, I have seen over 60 times the last couple of times they have played I have been plagued with ill health and of late when they play near me its been in venues that don’t have good for facilities for a cripple like me otherwise it would have been a lot more, Budgie only ever as a support band around 15 times, Magnum up until 1983 about 10 ten times as a support then around 15 times as a headliner up until Tony Clarkin died.

I used to keep my tickets and passes (lots of passes) but they have gone by the way, so now I am trying to be a keeper of lists as I struggle to remember who supported who and how many gigs I saw them, the funniest is Bryan Adams supporting Tina Turner, me and some friends went to see the support act 16 gigs on the trot, we never even saw Tina Turner, it was all on the guest lists, Tina must have wondered why there was always a dozen seats in the forth row of all of the venues, oh what you do when you are young!

There are some great venues all around the country small and medium size, sheds I’m not that much of a fan, I like to be able to see the band not a speck in the distance, prices are starting to get silly, what with dynamic pricing, just a way for the big cartels to screw the punter, it simply shouldn’t be allowed, the robbing B*****ds! I hate to think of the miles I’ve covered to go and see bands over the years and the times I hitched hiked around the UK, I shudder at the thought these days, I must have been a nutter (hang on oh yes, I was).

I honestly don’t think I will go to too many more simply because of the logistics and the pricing structures, yes I know they need to make some money, I had a friend at work whose wife went to see Taylor Swift and it cost over £170 for a standard seat, factor in the cost of travel and hotels, I’m old I like my comforts, what can I say.  I need to have some kind of support to rest my weary knees, I can’t stand for too long, mind you having shite bands as a support act doesn’t help.

At this moment I am being a pain scouring old diaries, websites and all manner of blogs to try and piece the list together (watch this space) I mean in 1984 I did 324 gigs and I only paid for about 20! At the moment me and the wife have been attending comedy club gigs smaller venues comfortable and you don’t feel like you have been raped for the ticket price, we go on holiday soon and my wife got me all excited because she said that Rick Springfield was playing when we are there (she lied I checked the dates) but there is Toto and Barry Manilow, I have seen worse before lol, the countdown has begun, I simply cant wait for the holiday and hopefully some gigs stateside!

So, there we go the first blog of the month and my intention is to keep them rolling, so stay safe stay alive, until the next blog…...Toodles!

Huzzah.

Short and sweet is the name of the game, but it’s a happy, happy one, for once something went right for me, I thought I was going into a world war with my surgeon!   

Long story short I had been tasked with losing weight or I wasn’t getting my operation, I struggled, I couldn’t exercise, like normal people, knees are shot my right shoulder lets not even go there about that generally overweight and when I get depressed I would eat, get more weight on and get depressed in ever more decreasing circles, I had had an argument with the surgeon regarding my weight amongst other things and then he wouldn’t speak to me.

Six weeks later and I saw his registrar, who was lovely answered all my questions, I listened I agreed and then I was off to the races, I was given 6 months to lose 10 kilo’s I don’t weigh myself that’s an easy route to depression, I did all the right things eating wise, I know I wasn’t perfect but it was 98% better than previous attempts, in the week before the appointment all I ate was Oats and chicken, not in the same meal.

Tuesday I go for my appointment, I saw a lovely Irish Lady doctor who again was fab, took some X-rays weighed me, I had lost 17 Kilo’s, and then some questions, the upshot was yes you can have a replacement knee, do that one give it six months and lets see if you are still  having issues with the other one, BAM we will do the other one, WTF my mind was blown, if I was capable of doing a little dance ( I wasn’t ) I was scared they might have said “oh you can dance no knee for you” so now I have to keep losing the weight (My Choice) and get prepared for the operation.

My mind has been so full of dread about not getting the operation I was contemplating all manner of stupid schemes to get my way, I don’t have to do that, because I did all of the right things, this has been written purely as a stream of consciousness no editing as I simply wanted to scream from the roof tops, watch out world, I’m going to be bionic! I know I have a long painful road ahead, but hells bells this has been the best news health wise in over 4 years!

So watch this space as I have every intention of documenting this every step of the way from here on in! I wonder if they will let me keep my knee? So until the next time when I’m not flying at 30000 feet…………………..Toodles!

Four on the Floor – New Releases (I know its Late).

Ok so this was due 6 weeks ago and I simply lost the will to live, it felt rushed and to be honest I thought it was factually incorrect, I was in a strop so I didn’t think it was fair to release it in its original format.

So here we are down the line and I have given the albums a bloody good listen, my findings are pretty much the same but I have listened to the albums over twenty times each so I think I can pass judgement instead of the original three times each, are we sitting comfortably, well let’s go!

Cheap Trick – All Washed Up.     9.0.

I have to admit to being a longtime Cheap Trick fan, I’ve even seen them a few times, their worst album is still a good album, lets see what gives with this one (I know the score gives it away). Another album by the American Beatles, and this time I liked it from the go some of the latter ones have taken a few spins to get there ,forty minutes and eleven songs of bouncy happiness, and I only have a couple of minor complaints, well one actually that’s split, The sound is as “bright” as the last few albums have been, bear in mind I’m listening to these albums on air pods, not the best but I make good with the tools that I have, I know production methods have moved on but these days, a lot of albums sound muddy these days, trust me I do clean my ears regularly, and because of the sound Robin Zander isn’t as clean in the mix, for my taste, anyway Song wise the best is saved right until the last, to be honest there is not a bad track on here, they all put a bloody big smile on my face, I know it’s not as good as Dream Police but there are tracks on here I would swap so they could be. The last track on the album is the closet that they will get to being a pure Beatles tribute, Wham Bam Boom, the title made me smile, but the song is four people having fun, I won’t spoil it, go get the album however you do and just listen, if you don’t smile you must be an oasis fan! Well boys let’s have more fun like this in the world we need it as I mentioned at the start these boys don’t do bad albums, they do Awesome, Excellent, and Good, this is Excellent if the sound had been a bit brighter it would have been Awesome. Long live the kings of Bubble Gum Rock………. Cheap Trick!

MSG – Don’t Sell Your Soul.     9.0.

Another year, another cracking album, something that is simply chock full of riff after melodic riff, his classic sound which is good as it was now as it was back in the seventies! The Teutonic riff master delivers again, to me he is the most prolific and consistent rock player out there, eleven songs from start to finish starting with the title track “Don’t sell your soul to the last stompy “Surrender” it doesn’t outstay its welcome, it gets in the ring and knocks you clean out and then buggers off to the pub! My only complaint is I wish he would stick with one vocalist, I hope he sticks with Erik Gronwall, I know why he doesn’t stick with the same vocalist he has been quite vocal over the years about it, I like to see stability in the MSG camp, it just gets a bit distracting as you never know who you are going to get, as he hits 70 years old he just keeps getting better, and if he keeps producing material of this kind of quality, I reckon myself and lot of others will be as happy as the proverbial pig!

Bad Company – Can’t Get Enough (a Tribute) 4/10.

I was so looking forward to this album, however no matter how much I play it the more I dislike it, I like most of the artists, there’s a lot of money been put into producing it but it’s a lifeless parody and I don’t know what makes it so, maybe it’s just me Even Shooting Star with Lizzy Hale and Mr Rodgers can’t save it. And the biggest thing that pisses me off is the last track that I refuse to name as it’s simply it’s not Bad Company it’s Free, and if I’m honest even if I got this album for free it wouldn’t stay in my collection.

Ronnie Romero – Back Bone.    6/10.

In 14 years this gentleman has appeared on over forty (yes that’s what I said) albums some are stinkers, and some are quite pleasant, he has played with some awesome people, this album is quite pleasant, hence the score, however there is nothing truly memorable on this its well-played well produced but nothing sticks, when I put it on, I go oh yes I remember this one or that one , but five minutes after turning it off I don’t remember a single bit of it, maybe take a breath and breathe, I’m hoping Elegant Weapons with Ritchie Faulkner of Judas Priest does a couple of albums and that it grows with each album!, I do like the man he is talented, sometimes you need a bit of pixie dust make it big on your own, I wish him well but this album as well produced as it is isn’t it!

Better late than never, and I’m glad I did what I did, I like to be honest I’m not being mean when I don’t care for something, I am simply trying to be as honest as the artists themselves, give them all a spin you might like something, you might also might hate something, the fact that we are all different makes the world a better place.

Moving Targets.

On your marks get set and let’s go!

The first blog of 2026 and hopefully the intention is to be more productive than I was last year, did I enjoy it, yes, I did, but looking back its more of a case of I could/should do better, it’s all about continuous personal development (blog wise) and all I can do is try my best!

How can I improve the blogs, well it’s important that I get me and the wife back to having some kind of social life, some small kind of human interactions with other people (no not the police) but people who we have known for a long time, what’s the term for that again? ah yes friends, this has been the worst Christmas that we have ever had, for reasons I won’t go into details in this a public forum, however we both agree it will be better going forward she agrees we have become far too isolated with too many issues that shouldn’t cause any problems, unfortunately that was not the case.

Our health is being impacted by us being prisoners in our own house, its time to spread our wings, initial contact has been made and the first of a number of cunning plans is moving forward (for once) even the wife agrees, that’s a step in the right direction at last! A friendly voice calling to wish the wife a happy birthday, broke the dam and thankfully in the coming months will be just the thing that we need to push us over the waterfall, baby steps first as we will soon be going on holiday and then the intention is to be upwardly mobile.

A couple of tasks in the house to get the house finally ship shape and then time to be amongst friends (finally) and to enjoy their company. As for our health  the wife has been suffering and putting up with it, I have the usual maladies and I’m getting on with it, what’s bugging me is my lack of sleep the last eight months the longest I sleep is around five and a half hours, I go to sleep alright, and I’m rested when I wake up, but the length of time actually sleeping is shrinking, I wander the house from around three in the morning like an unemployed burglar, it really does seem as though I have turned into my mother as she rarely slept more than five hours a night, I simply wish I could be more like my wife and turn over once I have woken up and return to the land of slumber, I have as always done some research but none of the cures seem to have helped!

Work is as busy usual but thankfully there is a light at the end of the tunnel (and no its not an oncoming train…..I hope) but I will keep my powder dry on that one as I don’t want to jinx it! so going forward there are still plenty of moving targets (cunning plans) and hopefully I might just bag a couple of them this year, so here’s hoping that this year will be successful as the last  decade or so with the blog increasing numbers by about ten per cent year on year, however 2025 saw the biggest leap though by nearly sixteen percent, I don’t know why, and I simply don’t care, long may it continue!

So watch the skies and keep your fingers crossed that I can do all the things that I want to do with the blog, keep spreading the word, click like or whatever you do on whatever platform you find this on, hopefully good times are just around the corner, yes the name game is in play, lets try not to google it and see if you can guess, so stay safe and stay alive until the next glorious episode of the blog……………………Toodles!

Right Here Right Now – 7.

 

Let’s get the clutter out of the way, everything is good in the hood, life has simply been busy with a capital B. writing has been the last thing on my mind, to be honest I have been barely online to check numbers since the last blog (although they are still doing lovely, thanks for asking LOL) although ideas have been buzzing away like a drunken wasp, I have been careful not to write anything as I been concentrating on life!

I intend (with good intentions) mean this to be the last blog of the year (we will see) however knowing me with being on holiday soon, I may have the gift of idle hands, so in reality watch this space, there might be 9 in the last week of the year (highly unlikely)  The work within the house is around 97% complete with just some minor bits and pieces to be completed before the day of giving! Only two tasks to be considered after that, but they can wait until the new year as they will be done by contractors costing precious pennies, then it’s a holiday to our favourite destination ( I know some people will say we have a limited imagination but I love the country and find 99% of the people lovely and engaging ) hey if the wife likes it then it’s a win win situation! After that more than likely some “new” home projects will arise but hey ho that’s life, or so I’m told!

Health wise (and I have had quite a few contacts asking how I’m doing) is as always crap, and no its not the reason why the blogs have been sparse. but I’m going with the flow, all the usual  issues, just ticking away, I’m waiting to find out if and when I get a new knee, I hope its soon as my hip is joining in now, I’m walking less and less, I’m not happy with that but it is what it is, work is busy there’s no other way of describing it, again it is what it is, all I can do is put my best foot forward and do my best (as always) the new year will bring new challenges hopefully I’m the person to take them on.

Music has been playing continually, as always helping me with  my mental state of mind, it’s what I have done since before I was a teenager (all those years ago) and I’m still doing it now, I did have a four on the floor music blog in various states of readiness but I realised it wasn’t up to my usual standard, it will arrive sooner or later, I simply want it to be better than what I had originally planned.

So as always many cunning plans are being formulated, to people who know me and the wife you will be seeing us in the knew year, we have had some discussions and the wife realises that she needs to re-enter life, her mourning has to come to an end, simply for her benefit, she needs to get out and see people, she’s a better person for it, and I want her to get maximum out of life, life has been crap for her now its her time to shine, this is as always a short missive just to keep peeps in the loop, we are better than we had been and its all on an upward curve, fingers crossed, so enjoy the holidays, stay safe and stay alive and honestly my intention is to do better next year (blog wise) thank you for all of the kind words watch the skies, I do have a number of ideas for the coming year, until then………Toodles!  

Four on the Floor – 1978.

So, it looks as though I do indeed intend to go through the years with what I think are the better albums of the years in a chronological sense of order, so here goes with 1978. Musically my life moved into overdrive, the previous five years had been the odd album and a lot of singles, I was on a budget, I also listened to a lot of music that my brother brought home, some people are going to moan that I have missed certain albums, but if you do a trawl through the previous Four on the Floor’s you will probably find the albums you are looking for there.

Thin Lizzy – Live and Dangerous 8.5/10.

People probably think that the score for this should be higher and if I done this a few years earlier, it probably would be, however certain members of the band and Tony Visconti have let information out that has certainly took the shine off it just a little for me, it’s still a killer album with a great set list and a fantastic glossy sleeve, the number of times this album has got me and friends into trouble because of playing this album very loud, it was very nearly the band at their peak (sorry but Black Rose is their peak for me) the heady days of youth, oh to be so carefree again. It did well in the charts and was a platinum seller in the Uk it seemed to be on the charts for ages!

ELO – Out of the Blue 9/10.

Their best album ever, a double album on near perfect song after song of classical pop oriented music, when you consider Jeff Lynne had writers block at the start of production, then woke up one sunny morning and wrote Mr Blue Sky in 15 minutes and the rest of the double album poured out over the next two weeks, the first time I saw “Mack” as an engineer on an album and the possibly the first time a fire extinguisher was used to make a Tarzan call on the track Jungle! I have never played this album in bits, I always play the full album straight from start to finish, its glorious, its probably what the Beatles would have done if they had stuck around a bit longer, oh and who produced those tracks that were released after John Lennons death, yes Jeff Lynne a confirmed Beatles fan, this album confirms all that you need to know, at this point it was an album that I thought every household owned, usually in Blue vinyl.

Queen – Jazz 8.5/10.

I’m not aware of lots of fans liking this album, I do, and there are some very nice pieces here, why the low score for the album, I thought bringing back Roy Thomas Baker, didn’t add anything, to the album that’s my opinion, yes it was a return to those super charged backing vocals on certain tracks, the album has everything you need metal Dead on time, ballads In Only Seven days and some novelty pop songs Bicycle Race, what knocks points off the album in the long run, the dodgy poster for all of the pubescent teens, if I never hear Fat Bottomed Girls again it wont be too soon, its simply been played to death, and the Roger Taylor penned More of that Jazz, I like how the track starts however the edited mix tacked on at the end of it with all of the songs is grating, Queen did a number of things before others this was just a little too soon with the technology available, but these are my only issues it’s a good album with just a few minor issues, I’m a Queen fan and I do like it, some others did as well as it went platinum in the UK.

Jeff Wayne – The War of the Worlds 8/10.

I know I’m going to get crap for this one, it’s a huge cast of top people from the 70’s a great story narrated by Richard burton with a deluxe album cover and booklet with artwork telling the story, so why the poor score compared to the others, simply because I might play it once a year if I’m lucky, unlike the others in this review, I don’t think its aged well, but what do I know, again another double album great performances and awesome sales it sold 15 million copies world wide in the first two years of release worldwide, I do still like it but it always seems like a chore to play it, some bits grate, unlike Out of the Blue which still holds all of its magic, this in parts feels just a little dated, maybe the ever ongoing Christmas tours and showings of the various casts have knocked the shine off it, I don’t know, but I know it’s the least likely to be played of the four!

And there we have it the next one will another Four on the Floor blog but of newer releases, I’m simply waiting for the new Cheap Trick album to be number 4 of the batch of reviews, until then stay safe stay alive and Toodles!